


Never Been a Sinner

by BergaraHoe (flannelfeelings)



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Can be platonic if you squint, Demon, Demon posession, Demons, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Gay, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Psuedo demon lore, Some bullshit really, buzzfeed unsolved - Freeform, idk how to fucking taaaag, posession, ryan bergara - Freeform, shane madej - Freeform, shyan, supernatural themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 11:29:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19172377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flannelfeelings/pseuds/BergaraHoe
Summary: When investigating a dilapidated manor, Shane and Ryan come across an entity that shakes the foundation of their lives to it's core





	Never Been a Sinner

**Author's Note:**

> Phew! Here's my contribution to the angst pile!
> 
> HUGE thanks to Kirazalea (Megan my baby) for beta'ing this and helping me shape it into the shiny turd that it is!
> 
> 4 THE SHANE CULT!!

A cloud of dust kicked up under Ryan’s boot as he crossed the threshold into the dank, disgusting old manor. He coughed at the irritation in his throat, shining his flashlight into the darkness, where several pieces of victorian furniture were beginning to look like figures if he squinted hard enough.

“Clearly hasn’t been dusted in a while,” Shane mused, voice surprisingly cheerful given the place they were in.

Cunningham Manor in northern California was an architectural marvel; beautiful white columns supported the long, classic porch. The tall, imposing brown building had a creamy eggshell trim and castle-like roofing. It was so stunning that Ryan was almost able to forget about the gruesome history. However, he couldn’t completely look past the horrors he’d discovered during his research. He always got like this during the demon investigations.

The mansion was subject to many, many murders and suicides over the years, and a supposed demon infestation. The demon in the house went by the pseudonym _“Bram.”_ Shane had of course made the Dracula joke that everyone was expecting. It somewhat involved him spreading his giant arms and goofily spouting the, “ _good evening!_ ” that was par for the course with a Dracula impression.

But this entity was no Bram Stoker. According to his research, it was a bargaining demon. It had taken advantage of the residents of the manor throughout the years, taking something valuable from them (like a family heirloom, or in one case, a baby) and making them a deal to get it back. The deal usually involved possessing their bodies and using them as a vessel to wreak havoc. The origin of the demon was unknown, and why it supposedly resided in the manor was unclear as well.

That didn’t make Ryan any more jazzed to be walking into this place at midnight.

They set up in the foyer and quickly did the intro to the video, delving into the history which only served to further Ryan’s anxiety. Shane seemed annoyingly at ease, cracking jokes as usual. This place didn’t phase him; but Ryan could feel a dark energy thick in the air; a presence that unnerved him almost as much as the Sallie house had.

They made it to the master suite about an hour and a half into the investigation. After getting jack-shit on the spirit box, and no EMF or thermal evidence, Ryan was beginning to calm down. His negative feelings aside, there was no palpable evidence to really frighten him. He hadn’t even heard so much as a creak in the floorboards. Even the creepy atmosphere couldn’t overpower his logical side. Nothing had happened. In fact, if it weren’t for Shane’s usual tomfoolery, it’d be a pretty boring episode.

After a few more hours of getting nothing of use, they were ready to pack up and get the hell out of dodge. Shane and TJ headed up toward the upper level floors to collect the cameras that they’d placed there for the duration of the investigation. Mark and Devon began packing things into the SUV, so Ryan headed for the basement stairs to grab the static cam they’d set up down there. He still had his GoPro chest rig on, opting to just take it off later at the car. Shane liked to immediately remove his after the shoot finished up, but it didn’t really bother Ryan.

Ryan made it to the basement and clicked on the light switch beside the staircase. The tiny hanging bulb somewhat illuminated the ominous cellar. He shuddered and began heading down the stairs. The static cam was perched neatly atop an old organ, covered with a graying sheet. The basement was colder than the rest of the house, and he huddled into his sweatshirt as he clicked the static cam off. Suddenly, in the quiet, cold basement, the same creeping atmosphere came over Ryan. He felt an oppressive energy, a chilling presence behind him. He was more than ready to leave, even if it _was_ just him being paranoid.

He made for the stairs, making it up the first five before the door at the top suddenly banged shut, and the light bulb seemed to burst. The sudden slam of the door and instant plunge into darkness startled Ryan, and he stumbled, losing his footing. He felt himself falling for a few moments, panic tightening in his throat, before he landed on the concrete floor of the cellar. Pain in his ankle and hip where he’d caught himself flared up, and he groaned in the darkness.

He clicked on his _GoPro_ , using the small beam of the flash to peer into the darkness. What the fuck had just happened? He was too disoriented to fully comprehend everything that was going on. He moved to stand, but the pain in his ankle protested, and he gasped, falling back to his ass on the floor. Shit, he’d probably broken his damn ankle.

Ryan reached into his back pocket to grab his phone and call Shane, only to realize he’d left it on the bumper of the SUV. He’d come back into the house to collect the static cam, expecting it to be a quick excursion. Well, he was definitely going to have to walk on his fucked up foot.

“ _Or do you?_ ”

The voice from behind him was so clear, so close that he knew he’d hallucinated it. Still, he craned his head around, eyes wide as dinner plates, sure he was losing his damn mind.

Only, he wasn’t.

In the darkness, he saw a glimmering pair of ebony eyes.

Ryan had been scared before on investigations. Noises, flashlights, and even his co-host had all made him scream bloody murder at least once. Before this moment, if you’d asked, he probably would have said he knew what true terror feels like.

However, everything he’d ever been afraid of, every moment on Unsolved that had spooked him, all paled in comparison to those shiny black eyes in the darkness. He didn’t even scream. He simply sat there, useless on his hurt ankle, staring wide-eyed and paralyzed with fear at the unseen entity.

“W-who are you?” he managed to stammer out, trying to turn his body so his flash would shine on the offender’s entire body. So he could try to see if it was in fact a person, maybe a squatter who snuck in to scare them.

“Didn’t you do your homework?” The voice somehow sounded like it was behind him again, even though he’d just turned toward it, and the eyes were gone now, “I heard your little story about me in the foyer. Forgotten your history already?”

“Bram?” Ryan could feel his voice trembling.

Suddenly, there was a face mere inches away from Ryan’s. He expected pointed horns, claws and a bloodthirsty mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Yet, to his utter bewilderment, he stared into the face of his younger brother, Jake. It was him, face, hair even down to Jake’s favorite outfit (washed out jeans and a sports jersey) yet the eyes… where the iris should’ve been, it was all pupil. There was no white, no deep, comforting brown, just endless pools of cold darkness.

“What the fuck is this?” Ryan choked out.

“Haven’t you heard that we can manifest as anything?” Jake (or...Bram?) smirked menacingly at Ryan, “it’s not always a little girl.”

“You’re a demon.” Ryan’s voice cracked with realization as the situation actually sunk in. He was sitting in a dark basement, stranded on a bum leg, mere _inches_ away from a demonic descendant of hell. This was the apex of all of their investigations, all of his relentless arguing, _bickering_ with Shane over whether or not this was real. Ryan knew. He’d always known that there were dark things in this world. So many people close to him had warned him not to mess with this realm. Father Thomas, his own friends and family...and they were right.

“You’re real.” he said stupidly.

The demon with Jake’s face laughed mirthlessly, a sound that sent chills running up Ryan’s spine. “Of course I’m real.” it reached a hand out to touch Ryan’s arm, but he cringed back, ice cold fear spilling into his veins.

“Is this appearance unnerving?” the demon gestured to it’s fake face, “I’d have thought this would be comforting. I could try something else.”

In a flash, it disappeared into the darkness, only to reappear beside Ryan, this time, as Mark, their cameraman.

“He’s rather handsome,” it said in Mark’s monotone voice, “but he’s not _really_ who you want to see when you’re afraid.” the smirk crossed it’s face again. Though the devilish grin was now on Mark’s face, completely different from Jake’s, Ryan knew he was looking at the same smile. The crooked evil that spilled from the being was unmistakable.

The demon vanished again. It was quiet for a few moments, just the sound of Ryan’s ragged, fearful breathing and the wind outside.

Then, Shane was standing in front of him.  It was Shane Madej, down to the letter. Long, lanky legs clad in some old chinos, a red flannel, and clear wide glasses. Yet behind them sat only empty pools of blackness where his hazelnut brown eyes should be.

Ryan shivered again.

The demon gestured down at the body it had manifested in, “Not sure what exactly you see here.” Hearing it speak in Shane’s voice made Ryan want to scream, yet he was shamefully still frozen with terror. Hadn’t anyone noticed he was missing yet?

“Oh they won’t be too worried. To them, you’ve only been gone a few minutes.”

Ryan frowned. “What?”

“One of my many parlor tricks,” it explained calmly, “manipulating time. Do you really want me to list my abilities, or would you rather get to the point? Why I have you here?”

Ryan absolutely did _not_ want to know anymore. He wanted to get the fuck up and run his happy ass out of here. But clearly _that_ wasn’t happening, so he just nodded once.

Bram, still in Shane’s stolen form, waltzed around Ryan in a distracting circle, “I suppose you already know that I’m a bargainer?”

Ryan simply nodded again.

“ I’ve taken your ability to walk,” it stated, jerking its chin toward Ryan’s now severely swollen ankle, “You let me take over your body, we can walk out of here, easy as that.”

Ryan actually scoffed in disbelief. “You think I’d let you possess me over a _sprained ankle_?”

Bram cocked an eyebrow up, and _god_ it’s the exact same face Shane makes whenever Ryan touts an insane alien theory. It made Ryan want to cry.

The demon hummed in faked consideration. “If that doesn’t suit your fancy...what if I just kill you?”

Ryan swallowed hard, steeling himself and trying his damndest to be brave. “Go ahead. I know you can’t possess my body without permission. Kill me and you never get the okay.”

The demon’s lip curled up angrily, a fire flaring in its black eyes. It crossed it’s arms, staring Ryan down with such a menacing gaze that he felt some of his resolve crumbling. He’d never been more afraid, but there wasn’t anything in the world that would convince him to let this hell-dweller take control of his body.

“Then how about I just kill _him?_ ” The demon pointed to its own face, masked in Shane’s features.

Except for that.

“Y-you can’t,” Ryan stammered. “You can’t kill him without a vessel-”

“Oh I _can’t_?” The demon cut him off, grabbing Ryan by the shirt and pulling him so close that their noses were almost touching. “Feel this Ryan?” His other hand came up to wrap around Ryan’s neck, effectively cutting off his airway. “You may think you know all there is to know about my kind, but you don’t have the faintest idea,” it hissed out. “Sure, we have some rules to comply with. But I’m more powerful than you could ever imagine. And I _will_ kill him in seconds if you don’t agree to let me inhabit your vessel. Then once he’s dead, I’ll come back down here with his corpse, and see if _that_ makes you more agreeable. Your only way out of this basement is with me riding shotgun.”

Ryan swallowed as much as he could with the large hand that belonged to Shane wrapped around his neck. “How do I know you won’t just kill him anyway?” he asked, voice faint.

Bram dropped Ryan to the ground, making him gasp as his ankle hit the concrete. “I am many things Mr. Bergara, but I am not a liar. You have my word. Let me take over, and he lives.”

“Why do you want me?” Ryan asked quietly. “What do you need my body for?”

“I’ve been trapped in this house for centuries, the demon growled bitterly. “I need to get out. Only way I can do that, is with you.”

Suddenly, they both heard footsteps upstairs and muffled voices. Ryan yearned to scream out for help, but he knew that would only get them all killed and leave him in the same spot as before.

“Better hurry up,” Bram taunted. “They’re starting to wonder now. I can only keep them disillusioned for so long.”

Ryan took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to do. “If I say yes, Shane lives? You won’t hurt him? Everyone lives?”

Bram nodded once. “I will not hurt Shane. Everyone else lives as well.”

“Okay.”

Bram smiled a wide, uneven grin. Ryan closed his eyes. He felt the _GoPro_ harness being ripped off of his chest and thrown haphazardly across the room. He murmured out a hushed prayer.

In an instant, his mind was enveloped in darkness.

* * *

 

Ryan had been gone for eleven minutes now.

Shane nervously headed toward the basement door, with TJ on his heels as they went to investigate what the hell was taking Ryan so long. It should’ve been a quick run, since he was just supposed to be grabbing a camera. They were all packed up and ready to go. As they reached the cellar entrance, Shane thought it was odd that Ryan had closed the door behind him.

He reached out to grab the doorknob, but was startled back when the door flew open and Ryan stepped out of the basement. Relief fluttered in Shane’s chest as he saw that Ryan appeared okay, no visible injuries or trauma to be seen. He held the static cam in one hand, but his _GoPro_ wasn’t strapped on. Must’ve put it in the car already.

“What took you so long?” Shane teased. “We thought you fell into a demon hole.”

Ryan smirked, which was kind of a weird expression on him. “I did, but only for a few minutes.”

Shane let out a nervous laugh, glancing at TJ, who also looked somewhat unnerved by Ryan’s calm response. Ryan walked right past them without saying anything else, and headed for the front door. Reaching it, he stepped across the threshold to the porch with a gleeful sigh. He stopped for a moment, taking a large, deep breath, and then hopped down the stairs toward the car.

“Well _he’s_ cheerful,” TJ said, nose scrunched up in confusion.

Shane glanced at the basement staircase, then back to the front door, an involuntary shudder dancing up his spine. He couldn’t quite place the feeling he’d just gotten, but it sure wasn’t a pleasant one.

“Yeah,” he said slowly. “Weird.”

“He’s probably just happy to be getting out of here, I know I am.” Teej patted Shane’s shoulder and followed Ryan’s example, heading outside.

Shane took one last long look at the staircase, shivered again, and made for the front door himself. He was unable to shake the feeling that something very bad had just happened.

* * *

 

The past week had been...weird, for lack of a better term.

Ryan was not himself. Sure, sometimes after investigations he got a little testy, a little unnerved by something he claimed to have encountered. But this...this wasn’t the Ryan that Shane knew.

The first day at the office after the shoot, Ryan showed up three hours late. He didn’t call anyone, didn’t give any notice, and their post-mortem filming for another episode was delayed. He walked in like he didn’t even know he was late. When they asked him what was going on, he just said he overslept.

 _That_ was not like Ryan. Ryan hardly _ever_ slept, let alone shirked responsibilities just for a few extra minutes of sleep in the morning. He also didn’t stay late to makeup the work he’d missed, which was so opposite of Ryan’s patterns that Shane almost didn’t believe it.

The day after that, Ryan managed to show up on time. There were dark circles under his eyes and he had an air of tenseness to him that Shane wasn’t sure how to respond to. When Shane asked if he was okay, Ryan scowled, told him to shut up, and walked away angrily.

The entire week had been like this. Ryan acting angry, out of character, and like he didn’t care anymore. Shane wracked his brain trying to figure out what had set this off. Overall, the investigation was pretty boring. Ryan himself had even admitted they didn’t get much evidence. So what the hell had happened to make him so pissed off?

Things came to a head on Friday afternoon. Everyone had started to clear out of the office, leaving Shane and Ryan some of the last stragglers, both at their desks. Shane was wanting to stay late and do some writing for an upcoming project, but when he glanced over at his friend, Ryan looked...out of it.

“Hey,” Shane said, snapping his fingers and waving a hand to get his coworker’s attention. “You alive in there?”

Ryan seemed to come back to the present. He glanced at Shane, rolled his eyes, and went back to whatever he was doing on his computer. Shane bit his lip, debating on whether or not he should actually say something. Maybe he was just overreacting.

Or maybe he wasn’t.

“Hey Ryan…” he began, trailing off for a moment to allow the other to respond.

Ryan didn’t even look up from his computer.

Shane kept speaking. “Is something going on? You’re acting weird as hell.”

Ryan glanced up at Shane, cocking an eyebrow as if Shane was an idiot. “No, nothing’s going on.” He turned back to his computer.

That went well.

Shane, however, was pretty fed up with the attitude his friend had adopted, so he forged ahead. “You know Ryan, you don’t have to be a jerk. If something’s going on, just tell me. You’ve been blowing me and everyone else off all week and acting like a tool. What gives?”

Ryan sighed heavily, like Shane was an inconvenience, which stung a bit more than Shane wanted to admit. “Why don’t you mind your own fuckin’ business?” Ryan asked rhetorically. “Why do you always have to interject yourself into my life? We’re not joined at the hip you know. Did you ever _think_ ,” he spit out venomously, “that _maybe_ I just want to work with you and not have to fuckin’ talk to you all day?”

Shane leaned back, hurt. He hadn’t expected Ryan to go that far. Even in their most voracious arguments (usually about popcorn flavors or whether or not the paranormal exists) Ryan had never said anything this hurtful. Shane got up from his desk and walked away, trying not to let on how charred he was.

He made his way into the kitchen, trying to absorb what Ryan had just said to him. It may very well have been the cruelest thing his best friend had ever told him. Shane opened the fridge and leaned forward, letting the cold air bathe his face as he eyed many snacks he didn’t particularly feel up to eating.

A voice behind him drew his attention. “Midday snack?”

He glanced over his shoulder at Jen, who was grabbing a water bottle. She appeared to be heading out, her bag slung over her shoulder and her sunglasses perched on her head.

Shane shrugged. “I dunno. Just needed some space I guess.”

Jen glanced toward the kitchen entryway that leaned out toward the desks. “From Ryan?”

Shane looked at his feet shamefully.

She gnawed on her lip nervously before speaking. “What’s wrong with him?”

Relieved that he wasn’t the only one who had noticed it, Shane sighed, shoulders sagging. “I have no idea. Has he been awful to you too?”

She nodded. “To everyone, really. Yesterday he shoved Daysha in the hallway ‘cause she was walking too slow. When she yelled at him, he just kept walking like he didn’t even hear her.” She stopped for a moment, concerned eyes meeting Shane’s gaze. “What brought this on? It’s like he’s possessed or something.”

Shane sighed. “I don’t know, maybe he’s got family stuff going on. Hopefully it passes,” he added, the corner of his mouth just barely lifting into a tired smile. “Have a good weekend Jen.”

“Thanks Shane,” she replied gently. “You too.”

They went their separate ways and Shane headed back in the direction of his desk. Ashe cleared the kitchen, he noticed the back of Ryan’s frame, his head bent down as if he was angry or in pain, body tense and curled up. He thought about what Jen had said.

 _It’s like he’s possessed or something_.

No…

No. Shane was being insane. Not only was that impossible, it was absolutely fucking crazy. He wasn’t even going to _entertain_ the idea that Ryan was _possessed_.

Still, he found his legs rerouting him without his permission toward the Unsolved set. He walked swiftly, hoping Ryan wouldn’t notice him passing by. As it was, the other man didn’t even move when Shane whisked past him. He made it to the set, unlocking the door and stepping in, shutting the door behind him.

It took him a few minutes to find what he was looking for, but he managed to grab it and slip out without any incident. For some reason, even though he knew he was being silly, his hands were shaking.

He stepped up behind Ryan and lifted the blue plastic water gun. Mustering up all his courage, he squeezed the trigger.

“ _Ah_!” Ryan screamed out, grabbing the back of his neck where the holy water splashed from the nozzle of the water gun. He jumped to his feet, as Shane stumbled back once, wide-eyed.

“What the _fuck_ are you doing?” Ryan demanded, turning to face Shane.

Shane stared in complete disbelief. “Sorry man, just messing around. Thought you needed some cheering up.”

Something deep in his gut told him to play it cool. There was a dark fury in Ryan’s eyes that Shane had never seen before.

 _Jesus Christ Shane, so he jumped when you squirted him with cold water, not exactly proof of the supernatural_ , he thought, trying to calm himself down. He was being completely irrational.

Ryan grabbed his jacket that was slung over his chair, glowering angrily. “Would you cheer up if I jumped you and got your clothes soaking wet you _asshole_? Why don’t you leave me the fuck alone?” He shoved past Shane so hard that Shane lost his footing and fell backwards on his ass.

He watched Ryan leave, and the shorter man didn’t even turn around to see if he was okay.

* * *

 

Shane woke up on Saturday morning, trying to forget the events of the past week. Maybe Ryan just needed some space, some sleep, and he’d be back to normal. Shane had certainly let himself get worked up yesterday, and he was severely overreacting.

He tried to go about his day like normal, and for the most part, he did. He got some errands done, got Obi a new cat toy, and even cleaned up his apartment. Usually on the weekends he and Ryan would get together for a movie night, but he had the feeling that wouldn’t be happening this week.

Around dinner time, he got a text from TJ: _Hey Shane, tried to call Ryan but he didn’t answer. Have you seen his GoPro? Haven’t been able to find it since the Cunningham shoot._

Shane frowned, it definitely wasn’t like _Follow-The-Rules-Ryan_ to lose equipment. He’d thought Ryan must’ve put it back in the truck, but now that he thought about it, maybe Ryan had gone into the basement with it...and left without it. After all, he usually kept it on longer than Shane did.

The basement.

The only time that night that Ryan had been alone.

That footage might be the only clue Shane had as to what was going on with Ryan. His fingers were flying fast as he began dialing a number on his phone. The site rep for Cunningham Manor, Jenna, answered in a few rings.

“Hello?” She seemed a bit annoyed at being bothered on a weekend at dinner time.

“Hi! I’m so sorry to bother you, my name is Shane Madej. I was apart of a shoot last weekend up at Cunningham Manor with Buzzfeed?”

“Hi, yes I remember. What can I do for you?”

“I was actually wondering if I could grab another key and get in? We left one of our cameras there and I _really_ need to grab it or my boss is gonna skin me.”He put on his best pleading voice.

“I’m really not supposed to let people in unauthorized.”

Shane took a small breath. “Well, _you’d_ be authorizing me, right? So you’re not technically breaking any rules?”

Luckily, she had a sense of humor. “Alright kid. Can you come pick the key up from me?”

“Yes!”

He got the address from her and quickly grabbed his shoes and coat, heading for the door. He left some food and water out for Obi, knowing he’d be gone for a few hours, as the manor itself was about a two hour drive (with traffic) from his apartment in central LA. He swung by Jenna’s house to pick up the keys, who warned him to be very careful and “ _dear god please don’t touch anything_.” He assured her he’d be quick and not disturb any artifacts, and expressed serious gratitude for her understanding.

The drive gave him too much time to think. He didn’t know what he was going to find on that camera, and part of him didn’t want to. He tried to tell himself that he was being paranoid and overreacting; everything was fine. He wasn’t going to find any footage that was out of the ordinary.

Yet...his hands clammed up as he finally reached the manor. He’d forgotten just how imposing the building was. Though he didn’t believe anything paranormal lay there, it was certainly a creepy historical landmark. He killed the engine and made his way up the brick walkway to the large, daunting porch. It took him a few tries to get the door unlocked, which the irrational part of his brain told him was a sign, but he firmly ignored it. He finally jimmied the door open and stepped into the house.

It was past 7 now, the sun had almost completely gone down, leaving no natural light within the manor. He clicked on the foyer light, illuminating the old furniture and dated antiques. As he walked toward the basement, he recalled the night they’d shot here. Ryan had been very nervous at first, but he’d seemed to calm down during the night. It was a very quiet investigation, Ryan didn't even point out hearing any random noises, which was unlike him. They’d packed up, and Ryan went in to grab the static cam from the basement, which he’d returned with.

Shane made it to the basement door, which had been closed since their shoot. He took a deep breath, and opened the door.

Of course, nothing happened. He told himself to calm down, tried to convince his rapidly beating heart to slow down. There was nothing to be afraid of in this empty house, there never was.

Shane descended the stairs slowly after discovering the hanging light bulb was burnt out. The flashlight on his phone wasn’t quite sufficient enough to see, he came to realize as he stumbled once or twice. The basement was deafeningly silent.

Once he reached the bottom of the stairs, thankfully with all limbs still attached, he began his search for Ryan’s _GoPro_. Why the _hell_ would he have taken it off while down here, instead of waiting? And where the hell _was_ it?

It took him ten minutes, but he was finally able to spot the camera in the dark basement. He crossed the concrete floor quickly and grabbed the camera from where it lay face down on the floor in the back corner of the room. But that just begged the question of _how did it get there?_ He turned the camera over, discovering that the screen was brutally cracked. It almost looked like someone had thrown it against a wall. A chill ran up his spine.

 _Relax,_ he told himself, _Ryan probably just dropped it_.

He went to turn on the camera, but cursed quietly when it wouldn’t power up. Hopefully the battery was just drained, and the fall hadn’t completely destroyed the files on it. Shane tucked the camera into the pocket of his jeans, turning around to head up the stairs, determined to get home and get the footage off of this thing.

* * *

 

He made it back to his place at around 10:30. He’d returned the key to Jenna and managed to avoid too much highway traffic. The long day had been exhausting, but nothing was going to stop him from getting to the footage right away.

He luckily had tons of spare cords around, and plugged the _GoPro_ into his laptop as soon as he stepped into his apartment. He sat on the couch, lazily running his fingers through Obi’s fur as he thanked his lucky stars that all the clips began to load into his laptop. Luckily the camera wasn’t broken, just gruesomely cracked.

He combed through each video until he found one that he didn’t recognize. Figuring that must be the footage from the basement, he clicked _PLAY_.

The video began from an odd angle. It looked like Ryan was laying flat on the basement floor; all Shane could see was the ceiling. Though the video was blurred with darkness, the audio was very clear, and he could hear heavy panting. Ryan was breathing weakly, and a small hitch in his throat indicated that he was in pain.

What the hell? Had Ryan fallen down the stairs or something? Why would he not have mentioned that?

Shane watched the camera move as Ryan went to stand up, and gasped loudly, falling back to the ground. The noise of pain sent waves of concern through Shane, as Ryan was clearly hurt. How the hell had he seemed fine when he left the basement?

There was a shuffling, like Ryan was looking for something in his pockets, and only the sounds of his labored breaths filled the footage.

Then, in the veil of quiet, Shane could make out a low voice asking:

 _“Or do you?_ ”

Shane couldn’t believe his ears. Ryan was in that basement alone. The whole crew had been with Shane, so he knew no one had snuck down there. That definitely wasn’t Ryan’s voice though.

“What the fuck?” Shane said out loud in his silent apartment, unable to move his eyes from his laptop screen.

The video was dark and from a bad angle due to it being rigged up to Ryan’s chest, so he could really only see what Ryan saw. Ryan’s body turned sideways, and Shane’s jaw went slack.

In the darkness, he saw a glimmering pair of ebony eyes.

This was not fucking happening. Yet, the video kept rolling.

“W-who are you?” The terror seeping into Ryan’s fragile voice made Shane’s heart ache, and he longed to reach out and comfort him. Yet he was far away, his fearful voice all alone in the dark basement.

“Didn’t you do your homework?” The strange voice came again. “I heard your little story about me in the foyer. Forgotten your history already?”

“Bram?” Ryan’s voice was so broken and afraid that Shane felt his eyes beginning to water. He wanted nothing more than to reach into the screen and pull Ryan the fuck out of there.

Suddenly, a face appeared on the camera.

Shane gasped loudly, confusion overcoming his horror. Was that Jake? What the fuck was Jake doing in that basement?

“What the fuck is this?” he heard Ryan ask, but he couldn’t focus on that, as he noticed that the whites of Jake’s eyes...weren’t there. They were nothing but pools of blackness.

“What the fuck?” Shane said aloud again. Obi nudged his side, but provided no insight to the horrors on the video.

“Haven’t you heard that we can manifest as anything?” That voice once more. “It’s not always a little girl.”

“You’re a demon,” Ryan’s voice cracked.“You’re real.”

“Of course I’m real.” Jake reached a hand out to touch Ryan’s arm, but the camera shuffled, as if Ryan was flinching away. The thought of that thing (whatever it was) trying to touch Ryan made Shane’s blood boil.

“Is this appearance unnerving?” Jake waved his hands in his own face, “I thought this would be comforting. I could try something else.” In a flash, he disappeared, and it took only a moment for… Mark to take his place.

“He’s rather handsome,” Mark said, “but he’s not _really_ who you want to see when you’re afraid.”

He vanished again. It was quiet for a few moments, all Shane could hear was Ryan’s fearful panting.

Then, Shane saw something that, for the first time, made ice cold fear slink into his veins and paralyze him with fear.

That was... _him_.

Shane had not been in that basement with Ryan. He was 100% sure of it. Shane had been getting the other static cams from the fourth floor. But...but there he was. He was standing above Ryan, looking somehow taller than he usually did compared to Ryan’s cowardly stance on the floor. Shane was watching himself.

He stared, pure terror freezing him as he watched the Other Shane speak. “Not sure what exactly you see here,” it said as it gestured down to Shane’s body.

Other Shane walked Ryan through what was going on. He said he wanted to possess Ryan, and if Ryan said yes, he’d allow him to walk again, heal his sprained ankle. Ryan... _brave_ Ryan, told him no.

Other Shane then told Ryan he’d kill him if he didn’t agree.

Fearlessly, Ryan still did not agree.

Then, Other Shane pointed at its own face. “What if I just kill _him_?”

Shane’s heart crawled into his throat.

Other Shane told Ryan that if he said yes, the demon would not hurt real Shane.

Ryan said okay.

“No…” Shane whispered out loud without really meaning to; the horror of what was unfolding had finally started to sink in.

The camera was suddenly ripped off of Ryan’s chest, and thrown through the air. It hit the wall with a _clack!_ And the screen went dark.

“ _No_ , Ryan!” Shane said again, a bit louder this time, startling Obi.

Before the video ended, Shane heard Ryan say a prayer. Then, the audio cut out.

Shane was completely still. Completely silent. He sat, frozen upright on his couch cushions, eyes glazed over at the bluish hue on his laptop screen.

This wasn’t possible.

Like an idiot, he played the video again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

By the time the clock hit 4 am, he’d watched the video more times than he could count. He’d poured over every inch of every frame. He’d listened to his best friend’s terror and sacrifice over and over again. He’d tried to wrap his brain around this new reality.

He hadn’t been there. He’d been walking around upstairs, laughing and talking with the crew. While Ryan lay on the basement floor, injured, and at the mercy of something that Shane was too obtuse to believe was real.

Ryan knew. Ryan was terrified. Ryan had been kept up with nightmares about this very scenario many nights.

And Shane had left him alone.

Shane wasn’t there. Shane, who’d been teasing Ryan all night for being afraid of this exact thing, had left Ryan to be kidnapped by a fucking _demon_. As he sat there, a horrific realization dawned on him.

This was _Shane’s_ fault. He’d let Ryan go into that basement alone. He _mocked_ Ryan for his warranted fears of this stuff. _He_ was the bargain that the demon made with Ryan.

And whether or not he wanted to believe it, _truly_ believe it…

The person who’d come back from that shoot, was not Ryan.

But he was going to get him back. 

* * *

 

Shane had been awake for almost two full days now. It was 4pm on Sunday evening, and he’d spent the last 12 hours researching. He accessed Ryan’s files of research for their investigation and contacted as many paranormalists as he could in what little time he had. Shane was determined to be as prepared as possible for what was coming.

He now knew what he had to do.

Unfortunately, when Shane called, Jenna would not give him the keys to the manor again. They had tours scheduled on Monday morning. Unfortunately, that meant he was going to have to break in. But Shane wasn’t afraid to risk incarceration to save his friend’s life. In fact, there was nothing he wouldn’t risk to save Ryan’s life.

But he’d have to get... _Bram_ to agree to come for his plan to even work.

Shane’s hands were shaking as he dialed Ryan’s number.

Surprisingly, he got an answer after only a few rings. “What?”

The rough, cold version of his friend’s voice made Shane want to sob. He knew it wasn’t Ryan on the other line, which nauseated him.

“Hey, we need to head back to Cunningham tonight, TJ messaged me that he forgot his headset and he’s freaking out. I don’t want him to get in trouble. He can’t just leave to go get it, he’s got the baby tonight.”

“Why do I have to go?” the annoyed voice demanded.

Shane steeled himself. While he knew he’d get opposition to the plan, he also had learned in his research that...that _demons_ like Bram needed to maintain a certain ruse in order to gain power. Once they got attached to a vessel, it took time for them to reach full power. Bram was still trying to adjust to Ryan, and hopefully, Ryan was fighting back as hard as Shane knew he could. Bram still needed to make everything seem like it was normal, so he could bide his time and charge up.

“I need someone to help me look for it. The place is huge and he doesn’t remember where he left it.”

The demon rules were muddy, so it was possible this was all BS and that it wouldn’t work. However, Shane knew he had him when Ryan’s voice responded.

“What time?”

“Eight o’clock tonight?”

“Fine.” The line disconnected.

The trap had been set. 

* * *

 

At 8pm, Shane was waiting on the front porch of the manor. He didn’t wait long before Ryan’s car promptly pulled up and screeched to a stop. Well, at least the demon was punctual.

A chill ran down Shane’s spine as Ryan exited the car. He was wearing the same jeans and old T-shirt he’d had on Friday afternoon. His dark curls were messy, but not in the purposeful, stylish way he could sometimes achieve; it looked more like the other man hadn’t bathed. There were dark purple bags under his eyes, and he had a scowl etched deeply into his usually handsome features. His face was gaunt, like he hadn’t eaten in days, and his russet skin had lost it’s usual luster. He looked sickly, and furious.

Shane was terrified to look him in the eyes, knowing that it wasn’t Ryan behind that glare, but he also knew he had to act normal. If Bram got even the _slightest_ indication that something was up, the demon would leave in an instant.

“So where’d he leave the stupid thing?” Ryan growled as they entered the house. Shane had picked the lock on the front door (it was old craftsmanship, which made it easier) which was a skill he could attribute to a summer in high school of sneaking into his parent’s liquor cabinet. Luckily, the place didn’t have an alarm.

Being alone in this dark, empty place with...a _demon_   -which was something Shane had never even believed was real before yesterday- was the most terrified Shane had ever been. He finally understood how Ryan felt on their shoots. He felt so guilty for making fun of Ryan, because Shane felt like he wanted to turn and bolt every time the demon even glanced in his direction, though it was wearing a face that he loved very much. The oppressive energy the entity gave off was enough to make Shane doubt whether or not he actually had the stones to execute his plan.

But that didn’t matter. No matter how fucking petrified he was, he had to do it. For Ryan. Because Ryan was still in there somewhere, probably screaming for help.

“Not sure,” Shane said as they walked through the foyer in the direction of the basement. “He said he remembers having it when we came to get you from the basement.”

Ryan’s head snapped sideways, and the intense stare he gave Shane made his skin crawl. The menacing glare in Ryan’s usually sweet eyes was so indescribably dark that Shane felt like he was locking gaze with the devil himself. But he stood steady and kept his expression neutral.

“You check the basement,” Ryan hissed, “I’ll look over here.”

“Sounds good.” Shane was trying his hardest to remain cool; _god_ , he hoped it came off casual. He walked over to the basement door, hearing Ryan’s footsteps echo in the other direction. Shane swallowed hard, opening the door and clicking the light switch for the bulb he knew was out.

 _Sell it_ , he told himself.

“Hey Ryan?” he called.

“What?!” came the angry growl from across the hall.

“The light isn’t working, can I borrow your flashlight?”

He heard an annoyed groan and Ryan came stomping over. He stood beside Shane at the top of the staircase, reaching into his pocket for his phone.

Shane had less than 5 seconds to do this.

As Ryan reached for his phone, a million doubts poured into his mind, yet he swallowed them all, and forced his body into action. He grabbed Ryan’s thick biceps on each side, and shoved him with every inch of force he had in his body.

The angry scream that Ryan let out as his body crashed down the stairs to the basement floor was a noise Shane would never, ever unhear. He watched as Ryan’s body hit several stairs on the way down, and prayed to whoever was listening that he didn’t just seriously injure his best friend. He didn’t know if he’d be able to forgive himself if he had.

He reached into his backpack and pulled out a spare bulb, working fast. He quickly unscrewed the old one in the hanging light, and put the new bulb in. Dim light illuminated the basement, and Shane began walking down the stairs.

At the foot of the stairs, Ryan had quickly stood up from the fall. He started forward toward Shane, who was making his way down. The instant Ryan almost got to the staircase, he stopped abruptly.

Ryan (or, should he say Bram?) looked down in confusion as the edge of his boot touched dark paint. He backed up, eyes taking in the giant circle of black paint around him, criss crossing in a geometric pattern on the inside. He was standing in the middle of a devil’s trap that Shane had spray painted an hour before.

“How the fuck?” Bram growled, turning to look up at Shane, ruse forgotten as his eyes melted into black pools of nothingness.

“You can thank _Wikihow_ for that one,” Shane said with a smirk, forcing himself to appear confident, though his entire body wanted to collapse from terror. “You really can find anything on the internet these days, even ways to trap a demon. Do you know about the internet?” he inquired with faux nonchalance. “This is my first encounter with a demon, not quite sure how it works with you guys.” Shane hopped off the last step, facing Bram from a safe distance outside the circle. “Let my friend go you fucking asshole.”

Bram’s lip curled up angrily, and his fitsts clenched. “You foolish human, you think you can-”

“Can we cut the chatter?” Shane crossed his arms angrily. “I know you’re a bargaining demon. I’m here to make you a deal.”

Bram cocked an eyebrow up, seeming surprised by this new development. “A bargain?”

“You let Ryan go, and leave him alone forever,” he began, knowing that he would be sealing his fate with his next words. “You can have me. I won't put up a fight, I’ll let you take over my body and help you carry out whatever fucked up demon shit you want to do. Just let him go.”

Bram’s low chuckle was such a far cry from Ryan’s usually effervescent laugh that Shane had to hide his shudder. “What is it with the two of you and wanting to sacrifice yourselves for one another?” it asked, amusement clear in its voice. “If you were smart you’d just leave now and pretend none of this ever happened.”

“Well I’m _not_ very smart,” Shane shot back, “and apparently neither are you, since I’ve got you trapped here. So what do you say, Mr. Brady? _Let’s make a deal_.”

Bram shook his head, still glowering. “That’s not how it works, _idiot_. I can’t just hop from body to body as I please. You have to be a certain kind of being to be a vessel.”

“You’re lying.” Shane snapped, starting to get frustrated. “Just let him go!”

“I’m not lying,” Bram insisted, eyes narrowing. “You have to be... _pure_ , to be a vessel. You don’t respect the other side. Your little friend here?” it said, chuckling. “He’s so respectful that the fear was _seeping_ out of him when you two walked into this place. He’s a perfect vessel. I’m sure part of him wanted this, always has. He’s been _aching_ to get a little naughty, and not just with you.”

Shane tried to ignore that last little quip. “That’s not true, don’t talk about him like that.”

Bram’s voice was cold and monotone. “You think you know him so well. You don’t know shit about _anything_ you fool!”

“Are you gonna take the deal or not? Me for him?”

“No, I really can’t. Now let me the fuck out!”

Shane was quiet for a moment, then he sighed heavily, letting his head fall dejectedly between his shoulder blades as he pouted, trying to sell it as much as possible.

“What’re you so fucking sad for anyway, that you lost your chance with him? Get over it!”

Shane’s head snapped up, and he met the demon’s eyes, “What are you talking about?”

Bram chuckled, starting to feel more confident as he appeared to notice Shane was looking disappointed, “Don’t kid yourself, we both know why _you_ were the only thing that could convince him to let me in. Losing your first love isn’t easy, but you’ll both get over it. Now let me out!”

Shane paused for a moment, “First... _love_?”

“ _Oh_ , he hadn’t told you. That’s cute. Well, now you know. Does _that_ give you enough closure to let me the fuck out of here?”

The taller of the two was a bit shocked at this revelation. Of course, Bram could just be lying to soften Shane up, which wasn’t going to work either way. That’s probably what it was, because there was no way Ryan actually felt the same way that Shane did.

But...what if he did? What if all this time, Ryan had felt completely the same? What if he loved Shane as much as Shane loved him? Is that why he gave himself up to keep Shane safe? That made Shane even more determined than he was before, if that was possible. He remembered the video; Ryan’s terrified, shaking voice as he agreed to let the demon in. All to protect Shane, who frankly didn’t deserve protecting in the first fucking place.

“Before I leave…” Shane said quietly, “Can you at least tell me...where is Ryan right now? Where is his soul, if that’s a thing? Is he in pain?”

Bram hesitated for a moment, “Yes, he’s in pain. But, I haven’t fed him in days, and he’s practically killing himself trying to fight me every day. His essence will die out soon enough, then this body will just be a physical husk. Purely me. Free us, and his suffering will end sooner rather than later.”

Shane tried to ignore the strong urge to vomit at Bram’s words, “He’s fighting you?”

Bram rolled his eyes, “More than any other vessel I’ve ever had. Now let me out of here.”

“No,” Shane shook his head, trying to get back to focusing on his plan, “ I’ve got to leave you in there. If Ryan’s going to die anyway like you said, why would I free you?”

“Alright you little shit, I’m sick of playing this game. Free me now, or I’ll make you regret it!”

“Oh yeah?” Shane forced himself to smirk and he hoped it looked cocky, rather than nauseous, as he felt inside, “how are you gonna do that if you’re trapped?”

A fire burned in Bram’s eyes. He was starting to grow very, very angry, “Free me you ingrate, and I’ll _show you_!”

Shane grinned. If there was one thing he was good at, it was taunting demons, “I think you’ve got _nothing_ , you idiot. You got yourself trapped in this basement again,” he stepped toward the devil’s trap, the edge of his sneaker a centimeter away from the paint line, “ _Fuck you_ Bram!”

“You’d do well not to insult me boy!” the demon growled furiously, “the moment I escape here, and I will escape here, I’m going to _rip your bones out_!”

Shane pressed his sneaker into the line, pushing his foot down and sliding it back once, “Try me, Shithead.”

Bram lurched forward, the paint line finally broken by Shane scuffing it away. His hands, though, really Ryan’s hands, wrapped around Shane’s neck as he tackled him to the ground.

“I could use power from the depths of hell to kill you slowly and painfully, if I wait,” he snarled, tightening his grip on Shane’s throat, “but I want to waste you _right now_!”

Shane’s vision started to blur as he looked up at Ryan’s face, and down at Ryan’s arms, choking him. He really was as strong as he looked, Shane could feel his throat closing quickly. The chokehold cut off his air supply so fast that he was instantly dizzy.

Looking up into the face of the man he loved while the life slowly began to drain from his body, was not exactly something Shane was ready for. He wasn’t going to fight it, he just hoped it worked, so that the pain hidden behind the anger on Ryan’s face could be resolved. He wanted to reach up and stroke the purple bags under Ryan’s eyes; he wanted to wash away any sign of hurt from his familiar face.

He would give anything to see Ryan’s smile just once more.

Just as he was starting to think the plan was a bust, the hands on his neck stilled, somewhat loosening their grip. A shudder ran through Ryan’s body, and the black eyes looked down at Shane, eyes widening.

“You two had a deal,” Shane gasped, his voice a broken wheeze from the pressure on his esophagus.

“ _No_!” Bram screamed, and Ryan’s head snapped back, a plume of black smoke shooting out of his mouth. The smoke cascaded into the air, dispersing throughout the dark walls of the basement, and vanishing just as quickly as they’d come.

Shane sat up, rubbing at his surely bruised neck, coughing as he struggled to catch his breath. Once he was sure he could sit up without keeling over, he hurried towards the spot on the floor where Ryan lay.

_Please be alive, please be alive, please be alive._

Ryan had a pulse. Ryan wasn’t dead.

“Ryan!” Shane insisted, voice frail and more quiet than he’d like, “hey Ry, please, talk to me buddy. C’mon, open your eyes.”

Slowly, Ryan’s eyes opened, blinking slowly They were _his_ eyes, soft chocolate brown, wide and scared, but _his._

“S-Shane?” he whimpered.

“Shhh, shh it’s okay.” Shane ran his fingers through Ryan’s curls, “it’s okay Ry, I’m here.”

“Is he...is he gone?”

“Yes, he’s gone Ryan. Can you stand?”

Shakily, Shane helped Ryan to his feet. They were both a little beat-up, and it seemed as though Ryan’s sprained ankle had returned, along with some fresh bruises from his fall down the stairs. But they were alive.

“I need to do a blessing.” Shane said quickly, “It’ll just take a minute, but I want to make sure he doesn’t come back. Sit right here, okay?”

He set Ryan down on the stairs and proceed quickly with the ritual he’d learned in his research. He wasn’t sure if the burning of incense and chant he found online was legitimate, but the room did feel lighter when he was done. It was all he could do at the moment.

Once he was finished, he turned his attention to Ryan. His friend was clearly hanging on by a thread. Shane hated to see Ryan sitting there, covered in bruises and shaking with weakness. Shane wanted so badly to ask him what had happened while he was possessed, but he knew this wasn’t the time.

“C’mon Ry, let’s get out of here.” He slung Ryan’s arm over his shoulders, and began to help him up the stairs.

This time, they left the basement together, just the two of them.

* * *

 

When Ryan woke up, his head was splitting with pain. He squinted against whatever bright, oppressive light was invading his vision. His back was stiff, uncomfortable. He felt like he was laying in one of the tiny cots he used to tough it out on during summer camp as a kid.

A sudden voice in the room cut off his train of thought, “How much longer?”

He knew that voice.

“Shane?” he choked out, eyes opening to reveal a small hospital room.

Shane and a woman in a white coat were standing at the foot of a twin bed, where he was laying. His arm was connected to an IV, and his foot was wrapped up and propped on a pillow. His entire body ached like a giant bruise, each subtle movement sending shots of pain cascading through his limbs.

“Hey Ry,” Shane rushed to his bedside, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight, “you’re awake.”

“What’s going on?” Ryan demanded groggily. He was confused and disoriented. His memories were fogged up and unclear.

Bram. Where was Bram? Why was Ryan in charge right now?

He looked fearfully at Shane, who squeezed his hand once more, and looked to the doctor.

“I’ll come back in a moment,” the woman said to Shane, “let me know if he needs anything in the meantime.”

“Thank you doctor,” Shane said gratefully, and she stepped out.

“Shane,” Ryan’s voice cracked, “Shane it’s in the basement, we have to-”

“He’s gone Ryan.”

“What? You know?”

“I figured it out. He’s gone.”

“ _How_ Shane?”

Shane glanced at his feet, and bit his lip. That was when Ryan noticed the dark purple bruises on his neck. They were finger-shaped, like someone had held him down and tried to choke him to death. They looked painful as hell.

“No,” Ryan whispered, “Did I-”

“Not you. _Him_ ,” Shane scowled, “Not you Ryan.”

“What the fuck happened Shane?”

“I figured out about the deal you made with him. Once I realized what was going on, I dove into research. Turns out, if a bargaining demon breaks their end of the bargain, they’re expelled from their host.”

“He promised me he wouldn’t hurt you,” Ryan realized quietly, “You-you provoked him? To hurt you?”

“It was a long shot, but it worked.”

Ryan was silent. There was a moment where neither of the two said anything.

Shane broke the silence, “Ry? You okay?”

Ryan let out a breathless, humorless laugh, “Not really Shane. I fucking- god look at what I _did_ to you! You were crazy Shane, that was really reckless. I-I can’t believe I did that-”

“Ryan, please. _You_ didn’t. You didn’t do anything except try to protect me. I’m the one who threw you down the stairs.”

Ryan glanced down at his injured body, and grimaced, “It’s okay.”

“Sorry about your ankle. I guess if a demon heals you he’s really only doing it for himself. I really wasn’t trying to throw you down the stairs. But I had to trap him.”

Ryan glanced at his foot, elevated on a pillow in a sling, “Is that why I’m here?”

“Kinda. You’re also pretty malnourished and dehydrated.” Shane pointed to the IV in Ryan’s inner elbow, “they said it looked like you hadn’t eaten in days. Ryan, do you remember _anything_?”

Ryan closed his eyes and tried to remember. He truly couldn’t recall anything after encountering Bram in the basement at Cunningham. When he tried to conjure up memories of this past week, he only felt sharp agony in his head, and a deep sickness in his gut.

“No. It’s all just...pain.”

Shane held on to Ryan’s hand even tighter, “Well, it’s over now. It’s all over. Ryan...I’m sorry I didn’t believe you, about all this. I’m sorry I made it a joke. All those fucking times you were scared for your life, and scared for _mine_ and I dismissed you. You were right. And I’m so fucking sorry. This is all my fault-”

“Don’t be sorry Shane, please.” Ryan whispered, “you saved my life. You almost got yourself killed to save me. Please, _god_ , don’t ever be sorry.”

“I’m sorry that he used _me_ to convince you. I feel like I should tell you...he said something about you to me, when I had him trapped.”

Ryan felt sick. Bram had had access to everything in Ryan’s mind. Even his deeply hidden feelings about his best friend.

Shane met Ryan’s eyes, “He...he told me you love me.”

Ryan winced, “Oh.”

Shane bit his lip, “Is that...is that true?”

This was the last thing Ryan wanted to talk about right now, but he forced the words out. It seemed like keeping a secret after an incident like this was a bad move, “Yes. I’m sorry.”

“You’re _sorry_? Ryan what the hell are you sorry for?”

“I- I just didn’t think you’d-”

“Be in love with the one person who I want to spend every waking moment of my life with?” Shane cut him off sincerely.

Ryan balked,“Really?”

“ _Duh_ , who else would get possessed for me?”

Ryan felt a small smile make it’s way on to his face, “I think it’s a little too soon for jokes.”

“Sorry, should I give it an hour?”

A tiny laugh broke through Ryan’s frayed nerves, “That’s a little better. I love you.”

Shane leaned forward and kissed each of Ryan’s knuckles, “then from now on, _I’m_ the only one who gets to be inside you.”

“Shane! You said an hour!”

The bubbling of laughter from his best friend was the most soothing sound Ryan had heard in a week, “Sorry, couldn’t resist.”

“But there is something I should say, if we’re going to...be together.”

Shane leaned in, his face serious again, “What is it?”

“If you _ever_ do something like that again, risk your life for me...try to get yourself _killed_ , I’m going to lose my mind. Promise me, you’ll value your life more than that.”

Shane kissed Ryan’s hand, “Okay Ryan. I’m sorry I worried you. Can you agree to the same thing?”

“I guess so. Thank you Shane. I’m sorry about your...” he gestured to the gruesome bruising on Shane’s neck.

Shane’s eyes softened, and he looked up at Ryan with the most tender gaze Ryan had ever seen from him, “You don’t have to thank me, and you don’t have to be sorry. Though...there are some people at the office you may have to make amends with.”

“Oh no,” Ryan groaned, “it went to _work_?”

“Must've thought it was bring your demon to work day. I guess they have to maintain an illusion for some time in order to charge up to full demon power. Demon you was a _real_ dick.”

Ryan dropped his head into his hands, “Fuck.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll just tell them you were on your period.”

“ _Shane_!”

“Sorry, I’ll just come back in an hour.”

“No!” Ryan reached out and grabbed his hand, “please-don’t leave, okay?”

Shane smiled up at Ryan, tightening his grip on his best friend’s hand, “I never will.”

In that moment, holding Shane’s hand in the quiet, calm hospital room, despite the past week’s events and the sterile smell of cleaning supplies, Ryan felt safe. He felt safer than he’d ever been.

And he knew he’d have Shane to thank for that, every day, from now on.


End file.
